Hyundai racers Kiwi's Paddon and Kennard make WRC history in Sweden
Top Kiwi rally driver Hayden Paddon has made history with his co-driver John Kennard by finishing in second place in Rally Sweden on Sunday (European time).
Paddon is the first non-European driver to finish on the podium on the snow rally which is traditionally dominated by Scandinavian drivers and is now one of only seven non-Scandinavian drivers to have secured a second place finish at this World Rally Championship event.
After a steady Friday morning in their debut event in the New Generation Hyundai i20 WRC car, the New Zealanders leapt into podium contention with two more outright WRC stage wins during Friday afternoon’s stages (bringing their WRC stage win tally to ten). The Kiwis were second behind rally leader and three-time world rally champion Sébastien Ogier, but just 15 seconds separated Paddon in second and Andreas Mikkelsen in sixth, setting up a closely-fought five-way battle as snow fell and roads froze overnight to create the more familiar icy conditions of the Swedish rally.
The team from Bowater Hyundai are setting sail in Tasman Bay with the Spirit of NZ
It is not everyday that you get the chance to set sail on New Zealand's most famous tall ship.
This is exactly what the team from Bowater Hyundai, and 85 of their invited guests, got to do on a stunning summers morning in Tasman Bay.
Bowater Hyundai are very proud to be actively supporting the youth of our region each year with a scholarship that helps fund the cost of the berth onboard the training ship the Spirit of New Zealand. Hyundai New Zealand are major sponsors of the Spirit of Adventure Trust so all in all this day was a match made in heaven.
We boarded the ship from the main public wharf alongside Guytons opposite the apartments and were welcomed by Gerard from the Spirit of New Zealand and Chris Bowater the CEO of Bowater Hyundai.
Chris Bowater welcomes everyone. Click on the Play Button to watch the video.
Once onboard we headed out of the harbour and into the bay. The sun was shining, the water calm and the breeze brisk, so it was time to unlease the sails and get all hands on deck for some serious hauling of ropes!
Click here to go to the Spirit of New Zealand section of our website to see the full report of the day, along with heaps of photos.
Hyundai scoops five awards at AA Car of the Year
The new Hyundai Tucson has won the coveted People’s Choice Trophy at the AA Car of the Year Awards gala event Wednesday evening (9th December 2015) as part of a dominant sweep of category awards by the brand.
Hyundai New Zealand General Manager Andy Sinclair says Hyundai took five awards, winning Best Luxury Car and Safest Car 2015 (Hyundai Genesis); Best Large SUV (Hyundai Santa Fe); Best Medium SUV and People’s Choice (Hyundai Tucson).
He says all five awards are a humbling but fitting accolade for the brand, while winning the People’s Choice award just months after launch is a “fantastic” endorsement of the Tucson and of Hyundai’s relationship with its family of owners.
“We are a New Zealand company and we are all about our people; our staff, our dealerships and owners alike. To win an award voted by the people of New Zealand for an advanced new medium SUV like Tucson is a wonderful validation of our emphasis on class-leading design, user-friendly technology and superb driveability. I’d like to thank all those who voted for Tucson in this award,” he said.
Take your chance to have breakfast with the man of the moment of kiwi motorsport
Ever wondered what was the breakfast of champions?
Here is your chance to find out.
Hayden Paddon is the next big thing in NZ Motor Racing.
He is currently racing all over the world, and consistently placing in the top10 rankings in the WRC (World Rally Championship). He recently made New Zealand motorsport history with his podium finish in the Rally of Italy and is lined up to continue his run to the top with his hot form at the moment.
We are very lucky to have him in Nelson an available to meet and greet with us on Tuesday July 14th starting with the Big Brekkie Victory Boxing Fund Raiser at Monaco Resort from 7 - 9am. Come and listen to his experience competing at the pinnacle of his chosen sport globally, and the hard work and commitment he has shown to get to the top. A true world champion in the making Hayden is one of the nicest guys in motorsport!
Tickets cost $39 per person, with $15 of that going straight to Victory Boxing. Click here to pre-purchase tickets to the event via the website Eventbrite.
Bring your wallet, let’s raise some additional funds for Victory Boxing as well with Hayden Paddon gear up for auction amongst other things.
This is just the start of an action packed day, so stay tuned for details on the rest of the exciting activities.
